


you steady my shaking hands

by wonderwheelzier



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anxiety, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:28:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28825977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonderwheelzier/pseuds/wonderwheelzier
Summary: El hates giving presentations in class. She hates all things public speaking. It makes her hands shake and her heart race. But now, doing online class from her and Mike's apartment, Mike can be right there with her to hold her hands through it (literally).
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	you steady my shaking hands

El’s hand shakes as it hovers above the mousepad on her laptop. She feels bad for not having any questions for the student who just finished, but she’s far too nervous to think about anything other than not crying or vomiting as soon as she opens her mouth. She knows she shouldn’t be this nervous, after all she’s presenting on  _ Pride and Prejudice _ , her favorite movie of all time, and she went over her presentation plenty of times with Mike before class started. But presenting has never been easy for her. She  _ hates  _ public speaking. She would so much rather write a paper than have to present in class, everyone’s eyes on her, focused on every quiver in her voice, every word she messes up. Hopefully being on Zoom will at least mean that she won’t have to speak up. God, she hates when people ask her to speak louder.

The other nice thing about classes being online is that Mike can be with her while she presents. Even better, he can hold her hand to keep it from shaking. And he does. As soon as El has her presentation on the screen and launches into her discussion of what film as a transformative medium has to offer works published before film was invented, her hand is in Mike’s. His hand is so much bigger than hers, soft and firm and the most familiar, comforting feeling in the world. She looks to him a couple times when she stutters over her words, and he’s always there with an encouraging smile, his brown eyes shining with love and pride. It makes her feel better, even if her voice still shakes a little.

Overall, she thinks she did a pretty okay job, and her professor is nice afterward. A couple people share their love for the movie as well, which makes El give a wobbly grin. She forces herself to keep her camera on for the next two presentations, but as soon as her class is over she’s collapsing into Mike’s chest. He takes her to the couch and pulls her in, her body trembling in his arms. She only cries a little, which she considers a win. She’s normally a wreck after presentations, walking out of the classroom alone. It’s so nice to have Mike right there, to be in his arms on their couch, his hands stroking through her hair.

“You did so good!” he says excitedly, kissing her temple. Then, softer, but no less sincere, “I’m so proud of you.”

“I love you,” El whispers, curled into Mike’s chest. And she does.  _ God  _ she loves him. And he loves her; she knows, she can tell from the way he holds her until she stops shaking and then keeps holding her long after, until they get hungry and he promises to buy her anything she wants. 


End file.
